Face masks have found use in a variety of applications in which they are worn over the nose and the mouth of a user, for example to protect the user's respiratory system from particles suspended in the air and/or from unpleasant or noxious gases, to minimize the amount of material expelled from the user's respiratory system into the surrounding atmosphere, or both. Generally, such face masks have been provided in two basic designs—a molded cup-shaped form or a flat-folded, expandable form.